I’m sorry, dear readers, for having dropped out of touch. I just checked, and saw that I haven’t posted anything in a week. My bad.

But I’ve got an excuse, I swear! It’s been an insanely busy week. I’ve been working on several stories at once. One of them was published in Slate yesterday; check it out. It’s on the German government’s conundrum as it decides what, exactly, a person needs to lead a decent life. For the first time, Internet access is in, and alcohol and tobacco are out. It’s interesting stuff.

Likewise, I wrote a book review that may or may not appear in the FAS Feuilleton this weekend, and a piece I’ve been reporting for a while, on the changing American expat community in Berlin, that I expect to run soon in the FAZ.

And now, as my last few days in Berlin wind down, I get to exhale a bit — which is better for my lungs than inhaling, given the seriously cold air out there today. Anyway, it’s good to be back in touch with you all.